In general, a semiconductor device, a display device and a solar cell are fabricated through a depositing process where a thin film is formed on a substrate, a photolithographic process where a thin film is selectively exposed and shielded by a photosensitive material and an etching process where a thin film is selectively removed. Among the fabricating processes, the deposition process and the etching process are performed in a substrate processing apparatus under an optimum vacuum state using a plasma.
A substrate processing apparatus includes a chamber providing a reaction space, a plasma electrode generating a plasma using a reaction gas in the reaction space and an electrostatic chuck supporting a substrate. The electrostatic chuck fixes the substrate using an electrostatic force and a lift pin moves up and down through the electrostatic chuck to load and unload the substrate. In addition, the electrostatic chuck includes a heater therein to heat the substrate up to a process temperature. Since the electrostatic chuck is combined with a power supply for applying the electrostatic force, a cooler and the lift pin, a periodic maintenance is required.
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a substrate processing apparatus according to the related art. In FIG. 1, a substrate processing apparatus 10 includes a chamber 12, an electrostatic chuck 16, a gas distributing plate 18, a gas inlet pipe 20 and an exhausting port 22. The chamber 12 includes a lid 12a and a body 12b and provides a reaction space isolated from an exterior for processing the substrate. The electrostatic chuck 16 is disposed in the chamber 12 and a substrate 14 is disposed on the electrostatic chuck 16. The electrostatic chuck 16 includes a main body 24 of aluminum (Al), an insulating plate 26 of a ceramic material combined with an upper surface of the main body 24 and a direct current (DC) electrode 28 in the insulating plate 26. Since the DC electrode 28 is connected to a DC source 36 to generate an electrostatic force, the substrate 14 is stably fixed to the electrostatic chuck 16.
The electrostatic chuck 16 may further include a heater 30 for heating the substrate 14, a cooler (not shown) for cooling the substrate 14 and a lift pin (not shown) for loading and unloading the substrate 14. The main body 24 has a step difference portion 32 at a periphery thereof such that a top surface of the step difference portion 32 is lower than a top surface of a central portion of the main body 24 and a focus ring 34 is combined with the step difference portion 32. In addition, the main body 24 is connected to a radio frequency (RF) source 38 and a matcher 40 for matching impedance is disposed between the main body 24 and the RF source 38.
The gas distributing plate 18 is disposed to face into the electrostatic chuck 16 and supplies a process gas to an upper portion of the electrostatic chuck 16 having the substrate 14 thereon. The gas inlet pipe 20 is connected to the gas distributing plate 18 to supply the process gas. The exhausting port 22 exhausts a reaction gas and a residual material in the chamber 12 to the exterior.
In the substrate processing apparatus 10, as a process for the substrate 14 is repeated, components of the electrostatic chuck 16 may be abraded or damaged. Specifically, the lift pin, the heater 30, the cooler, the cooler, the DC electrode 28 and the DC source 36 may be deteriorated. Accordingly, the chamber 12 is required to be periodically disassembled and the electrostatic chuck 16 is required to be repaired or replaced for keeping a function of the electrostatic chuck 16.
In the substrate processing apparatus 10, however, after the lid 12a and the body 12b are separated from each other and the body 12b is disassembled, the electrostatic chuck 16 is outputted from the chamber 12. In addition, when maintenance of the electrostatic chuck 16 is completed, the chamber 12 is assembled in reverse order of disassembling. As a result, it takes much time to assemble and disassemble the chamber 12 for outputting the electrostatic chuck 16 and an operational efficiency of the substrate processing apparatus 10 is reduced.